The Environmental Authority has given the green light for the construction of the Cyprus Football Association's (CFA) new Sports Center in Korno, dubbed 'The Home of Football,' a project totaling €16 million. The Authority's positive statement took into consideration information submitted under Article 28 of the Laws, the positions of Committee members, involved Departments, a justified determination, and an on-site visit, noting that there were no objections to the project's construction under the terms and conditions listed in the Appendix.

The statement also includes a Summary Note from the Environmental Authority on how the results of the consultations were incorporated or handled differently.

It's noted that the statement's validity is as long as the urban planning permit's, provided that there are no changes in the data on which it was issued. 

Worth mentioning is that, according to the Environmental Impact Assessment submitted by the CFA, the project's purpose is to meet the needs of the National Football Teams, in line with similar sports centers of other European Federations.

The Sports Center in Korno will essentially serve as a meeting and preparation point for National Team players and will include modern facilities and amenities (training fields, gyms, medical centers, physiotherapy rooms, etc.) necessary for athlete preparation. The main field will host friendly and/or official football matches of the smaller National Teams.

Additionally, new and modern offices will be created to serve the needs of the CFA and the coaching school, including conference rooms.

Moreover, a hostel will be constructed for hosting Cyprus's international athletes or foreign delegations visiting Cyprus.

As the Environmental Impact Assessment specifically emphasizes, "the project's location in a central point in Cyprus with easy access from the highway makes it perfectly suitable to meet the above needs and will facilitate athletes from all Cyprus districts." The study also mentions that due to the area's morphology, aiming to reduce necessary earthworks and preserve the site's character, the architectural design integrates the buildings into the existing terrain.

The project will consist of three different levels, with the entire building gradually sloping to adapt to the natural ground level, creating successive spaces with visibility from higher to lower levels.

The fields, hostel, and training center will be at a lower level than the existing road network and will not be visible from nearby residences, except for the CFA office building at road level, consisting of a ground floor and one upper floor.

The construction cost of the project is estimated at €15.98 million, with a duration of 24 to 36 months and completion in two phases. In the first phase, all spaces and facilities of the proposed project will be constructed, except for the hostel and stands of the main field, which will be constructed in the second phase.

It should be noted that, as previously reported by OffsiteNews, the development plot has been leased by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to the Cyprus Sports Organization (CSO) for creating the proposed Sports Center. The CSO subsequently entered into a sublease agreement for the said plot with the CFA, according to the sublease dated 22/08/19 and valid until 25/07/2052.